The present invention is related to liquid crystal displays and, more particularly, to improved drivers for controlling the backlight of liquid crystal displays.
The overall cost of various electrical products is substantially driven by the cost of an included liquid crystal display, and the reliability of such products is often a function of the reliability of the liquid crystal display. Hence, improving the reliability of liquid crystal displays may impact the reliability of a variety of products. A liquid crystal display utilizes a backlight consisting of several fluorescent lamps to display information provided to the display, and the reliability of a liquid crystal display is significantly influenced by the lifetime of the aforementioned fluorescent lamps. While all the factors that influence the lifetime of fluorescent lamps are not completely understood, one of the factors effecting lamp longevity is the waveform of the voltage driving the lamps. The lamps are typically driven with a sinusoidal waveform; however, sudden starts are known to be a lifetime influencing event. With the uncertainty of factors affecting life, more control of the waveform is desirable.
Thus, for at least the aforementioned reasons, there exists a need in the art for advanced systems and methods for controlling the backlight of liquid crystal displays.